Senior Platform Engineer - Data & AI Platform Lead

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; United States; On-site; USD 190,000 - 295,000; Full time

Job summary

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is seeking a Lead Platform Engineer to architect and deliver complex data and AI platform solutions that empower staff worldwide. You’ll translate business needs into scalable, secure technology and mentor engineers as a practice lead with broad influence across IT teams.

You will drive platform strategy, governance, and engineering excellence, champion automation and observability, and ensure reliable, cost-effective data services for the Foundation’s mission

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s in computer science or related field or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years’ experience in data platforms with a focus on advanced analytics, AI/ML Infrastructure, data security and automation.
• Experience in implementing managed and custom MCP servers.
• Experience in working on data platform architecture, processing of unstructured data and extracting insights.
• Experience with analyzing and extracting insights from health and life sciences data using analytical and reporting tools.
• Experienced in working with business users and co-developing solutions on EDP using Databricks, Azure and governing AI applications.
• Hands-on experience with API-driven data platforms, REST/GraphQL, microservices, and API/AI gateways.
• Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead platform tools, frameworks and vendor evaluations, guiding build vs. buy decisions and ensuring alignment with enterprise technical direction.
• Develop and promote engineering standards, reference architectures, and data access design patterns used across IT and partner teams.
• Anticipate technology impacts across applications, data, integrations, and infrastructure—and guide teams through informed trade-off decisions including assessing new technology.
• Develop design patterns for developing and governing data and agentic AI applications on EDP using Databricks foundation models, OpenAI, Claude, Snowflake Cortex etc.
• Manage and drive improvements of a lightweight custom application (Data Portal) for self-service data cataloging, search and discovery and data sharing with internal and external users.
• Day-to-day hands‑on execution and implementation of solutions, initiatives, processes and practices.
• Lead and oversee technical direction for large multi‑team delivery efforts, ensuring application of modern engineering and DevSecOps practices through completion.
• Conduct architectural and technical reviews of solution designs, code, and delivery approaches to raise quality and consistency.
• Champion automation, governance, observability, and operational excellence to ensure platforms remain reliable, performant, and cost effective.
• Pilot emerging technologies and guide their adoption into stable enterprise capabilities when appropriate.
• Drive continuous improvement of engineering practices, tooling, automation and operational processes.

Skills

Data platform architecture

AI/ML infrastructure

Security

CI/CD

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in computer science or related field

Tools

Databricks

Azure

Docker

Kubernetes

DBT Cloud

Job description

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is seeking a Lead Platform Engineer to architect and deliver complex data and AI platform solutions that empower staff worldwide. You’ll translate business needs into scalable, secure technology and mentor engineers as a practice lead with broad influence across IT teams.

You will drive platform strategy, governance, and engineering excellence, champion automation and observability, and ensure reliable, cost-effective data services for the Foundation’s mission